UFC is real combat.
 
Professional wrestling is a very physical form of sports entertainment.
 
Sometimes, the similarities between the two number as many as the differences.
 
Many times, the ironies are even more apparent.
 
It was Extreme Championship Wrestling creative guru Paul Heyman who gave Brock Lesnar  (who debuts for UFC on February 2nd) the nickname "The Next Big Thing" for professional wrestling. But in the world of UFC, many would argue that moniker fits Houston Alexander better than anyone else.
 
The 1st round knockout artist has flattened both his Ultimate Fight opponents in under two minutes. What makes him all the more remarkable is his life story. The 35 year old, 6-foot-tall, 205 pounder told the media in Canada recently that he's a graffiti artist, former break dancer, hip-hop historian, radio DJ, and a single parent of six children who donated a kidney seven years ago to save one of his daughters.
 
Alexander fought in small clubs, sometimes on a weekly basis, in and around his home base of Omaha, Nebraska. He fought in mostly unsanctioned matches, sometimes in tournaments which would see him fight five times a night. When he joined UFC, he was a relative unknown with a 6-1 professional MMA record.
Alexander was brought in as an opponent for The Dean of Mean Keith Jardine, who had just ascended the UFC ladder by knocking out the hugely popular Forrest Griffin.
 
So when Jardine faced Alexander at UFC 71 (Rampage vs Liddell) on May 26th, many thought he was just a tune-up match for the upwardly mobile Jardine. The fight opened up with Jardine blasting Alexander and knocking him down, but Alexander got right up and crushed Jardine in a total of 48 seconds. A star was born.
 
So when UFC 75 came to London, England, Alexander was matched up against Alessio Sakara. Many thought Alexander's win over Jardine was either the beginning of a great UFC career or a one-night fluke. Alexander silenced whatever critics he had by pummeling Sakara in 61 seconds.
 
Alexander says the best is yet to come. "You know what, I don't think anyone's actually really seen the punching power," he stated,  "They've probably seen a few punches here and there but I don't think they have ever seen me hit someone square. But I've always had heavy hands, though."
 
And even though he's in the brutal world of the Octagon, Alexander wants to be a hero to children.
 
"A lot of these athletes who say they aren't role models in the eyes of kids, excuse my French, they're full of shit," he told The Canadian Press,  "Because we're in the public eye and the kids are looking up to us, for some type of guidance."
He's doing his best, lecturing kids on the positive aspects of the hop hop culture on his Culture Shock School Tour.

"A lot of kids, the generation that's coming up right now, know nothing about the culture itself and so I go and teach them about the positive aspects because they don't get it from radio or television," Alexander exclaimed,  "They don't even know who the founding fathers of the culture are. So I go in and teach them about that and we have fun doing it because I have the kids dance, rap, beatbox. I go in and teach them about foundation and who got the culture started. And that it's not about the bling or any of that. It's about the music, it's about the dance and it's about the art. A full-blown culture that's expanded to clothing, communication, stuff like that."

Oh, but there's more.

Alexander also hosts Sunday Night Raw, a 2 hour radio program in Omaha that features hip hop music from all around the world. But his most rewarding job is that of being Daddy to his six children. Alexander is father of three boys and three girls, with ages ranging from 4 to 16. "Man, that's a handful, you talk about stress, you talk about the ability to handle it," Alexander noted, "Deal with some kids and then tell me about pressure."

This Saturday night, Alexander will fight undefeated Brazilian Jui-Jitsu artist Thiago Silva in what promises to be an explosive match at UFC 78 from Newark, New Jersey.

"I expect him to come after me like he's come after everyone else," stated Alexander, "So it should be an interesting fight because we both like to stand up. But also if he decides he would like to take me to the ground, then the world will be introduced to my ground game."

With UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson the "Ultimate" prize for either Alexander or Silva, and a match against UFC Light Heavyweight Legend Chuck Liddell a possibility as well, the winner of this fight has a lot of big money opportunity ahead.

Houston Alexander has little doubt in his mind, despite the trail of bodies in Thiago Silva's undefeated path, that when the fight is declared officially over, the announcement everyone will hear will be "your winner, Houston Alexander!"